Executive member of the Dominica Media and Communication Association, Dionne Durand, has described as useful, a meeting between President Charles Savarin and representatives of media houses in Dominica.
The meeting was held on Wednesday morning and was attended by most of the media houses on the island.
“I thought the meeting was useful in the sense that first, it gave media practitioners some insight as to the objective of the series of consultations and how they are expected to address the issue at hand,” Durand told our newsroom.
The series of meetings, initiated by the President, is being held against the backdrop of calls for electoral reform before the December 6 polls by the opposition parties, the Concerned Citizens Movement, the Electoral Reform Effort Group and others.
Durand said that with only nine days away from the general election, it was important to understand the President’s mindset to determine if the consultations will have any bearing at all on the conduct of the December 6 polls.
“We were also able to get some clarity on certain matters of contention including the Opposition’s claim that the Electoral Office is unable to consider its objections to names on the voting register,” Durand added.
She was referring to a release issued by the Electoral Office on Monday stating that no further amendments could now be made to the electors’ register since, as required by law, “the register of electors shall be closed to alterations on the date on which notice of an election is given”.
And although, according to the Electoral Office, the previous deadline given for the submission of claims and nominations was November 19, that notice, based on the law, has been superseded by the issuance of the writs for elections on November 6, 2019.
“Significantly, we also sought and received clarity on the matter of an injunction filed in September 2018 and whether this was, in fact, a factor that is impeding progress with electoral reform,” the DMCA official revealed.
She said the media practitioners present noted the President’s overall aim of quelling tensions ahead of the elections and his call for the media to play its part in that regard.
“However, I am happy that the President also heard from us the need to acknowledge the concerns of those citizens making a case for electoral reform measures,” Durand remarked. “We look forward to the President’s statement ahead of the elections and are particularly encouraged that he plans to meet with heads of various groups who have sought an audience to air their concerns on the matter of electoral reform.”
Lol slavery was ablolish since in the 1800 yet still people crying about which MASTER IS BEST LOL. #i never voted in my life
Lets take a look at this photo folks.
It presents a peep into the behind-the-scenes of some of the people who have infiltrated Dominica’s media – as a mask.
What is the lawyer doing there? A media worker? Part of the media fraternity?
We all know his many other roles are:
Government lawyer
Labour party lawyer
Passport seller
Labour party strategist
Alleged opposition candidate briber
Ambassador
PM’s best friend and advisor
Alleged keeper many secrets.
Many others that we may not know of as yet.
When the perspectives, story angles, media frames and narratives that media use come from these very people we have a problem. Herein the mask.
A very big media problem folks in this little Island!!!!
Be very careful media!!!! Careful I say. This is a charm offensive to get the media even more on side.
Remember, the media in a democracy is not a tool of the regime. Do not become smiling, photo-taking best friends with power in times of crisis.
The media as the Fourth Estate has to keep all powers in check. Your role is that of challenging power, calling out injustice and standing up for the ordinary citizens who have no access to these power circuits. These powers operate in many spaces at the moment – from the electoral commission, office of President, Cabinet, Police, Courts etc. etc.,
Your Fourth Estate responsibilities here is to take a position with the people much like media in any other democracies.
This is where the power balance is required at this time!
Your role is to also probe the problem from all sides, conduct in-depth reporting that shows the context and complexity of your society.
The only reason that bogus fraudulent president invited the non-existent media is to legitimize his call for the protesters not to stop the elections! He only used them to broadcast his one-sided views!!!
It is the UWP deciding to contest the election after they had been saying all along, NO REFORM NO ELECTION, why nothing can be done about it now–IT IS TOO LATE!
Lennox keeps playing Mr. Wise Guy, but there is nothing wise about him. He is talking about not giving PM Skerrit the win on a “platter” the reason he decided to contest, what he fails to accept was with or without platter PM Skerrit and the Labour Party already has the win.
But what would he do, if he could win the election, with reform–would he refuse to accept it? Huh!
Had he not decide to contest the election, it would have been much easier for the cancellation of the date, I have a good feeling about that–for what good would it be for one political party to contest a general election?
Lennox kept saying that he is ready, there are all kinds of plans, such motorcades, prior to the day of the election, at the same time that he wants cancellation. What kind of ze, ze is that?
Well, Charles Savarin kept you all on a string. If you wanted a photo opportunity with the President I would admit that you succeeded, other than that you got zip, nada, nothing but a lot of fluff, that’s all.
PS. At least I hope he had the decency to offer you all a cup of tea.
The job of the media is to report the news good bad and ugly. Charles SavErin should stay in his lane and do what is right for the country.
How do these people claim to be media?
Where have they been for the last twenty years?
Why have they failed to investigate and report on all these matters that have plagued us and brought us to this pass?
Can they share with us “the clarity” they got on the injunction matter?
They all either in Skerrits pocket or they are afraid to be persecuted. Take your pick. Dominica hasn’t had a functioning media in the last 10 years. Skerrit has destroyed Dominica.
Since media is the plural of medium this description may be very apt in that they are half-baked.
I have nothing personal against any member of the media association except that in my opinion they are very weak and they confirmed their weakness during their meeting with Charles Savarin yesterday.
Dominica is in serious crisis now with all kinds of corrupt allegations floating in the air around the PM and his wife, with an election less than 2 weeks away. Finally the president decides to meet the so-called press in a very dark meeting. Not only were this toy media used by Charles Savarin and Skerrit,like little boys and girls unwrapping toys for the same time but they were asked to do their job without their necessary tools and equipment!
How do you tell a mason to come do a job but he must not come with his tool? The main tool of any media practitioner is their recorder. How in God’s world Charles Savarin had to demand that they left all their recorders to attend the meeting? But meanwhile he told them to tell their listeners to be peaceful and they still passed his message?
I see here no indication of a resolution of the outstanding issues.. What is going to happen re electoral reform which is the vexing question associated with airfares and ferries??
The president meeting is another impediment to a free and fair election, he has been reluctant to speak and now he is keeping close door meeting asking reporters to leave their electronic devices behind so you can’t record.The president as far as I am concern is a enemy of the state and part of the criminal element that put Dominica in the condition that it currently is in.The people should take to the street with protest action to get them all out because they are all bought and paid for by the criminals running the country.
This election should be postponed, the Voter’s list sanitized and voter identification card issued to voters..
There is more than enough time to do all that!!!
Why not do the right thing, Mr President?
Skerrit
Whey is di money?
Whey is di money?
Whey is di money?
Hello, the elections are scheduled for next week Friday, should we really believe that this man can or will do anything to set things right between now and then? He has had all this time to ponder and meet with all Tom, Dick, and Harry wanting an audience, and yet it is at this late stage he is inferring that he will meet with interested parties. I believe we can call this a smoke screen, nothing more. He will tell everyone his hands are tied , it is too close to the election to do anything, and that will let us know he never had any intention of doing anything. Should the ruling party get back in, especially with the Roseau Central business, expect in a very short time for Savarin to be too sick to continue, Roseau Central to be touted as PM, and PM to be President. My people, be smart and vigilant, our country is in trouble.
The 1979 saga in Dominica have been ethed in my mind growing up as a teenager and all through my lifetime what democracy means to a people who felt that they were wronged and that actions were needed to right the wrongs at the time. Here again there is a similar situation where the majority of the people feel that their rights for electoral reform and a free and fair election process have been hijacked by the electoral commission in collaboration with the government of the day. Whilst there is presently a pressing and demanding loud call for electoral reform such as cleansing the elector’s list and issuing or allowing I.d. cards to be used in this upcoming election on December 6 2019 in the year of our Lord unlike the past two elections we are saying in all certain terms that we will not vote and we will not allow anyone to vote come December 6.
This Dominica Media and Communicatio Association is as useless as a discarded, soiled baby pamper. The meetings were an exercise in complete futility. Nothing of worth was gained after the series of meetings. It took Aljazeera, a foreign media entity, to air Skerrit’s corrupt doings. The local media houses have been silent like a grave on Skerrit many years of corruption and blatant transgressions. The local timid and colluding media entities are failing the Dominican people. Most of the media personnel have no proper training just a flock of sheep pretending to be journalists. Many of these news personalities cannot produce any valid certification of being bona fide news men or women. These so called journalists are just cowardly stenographers. They need to get themselves properly qualified and grow a spine. It should not have taken Aljazeera to unearth Skerrit’s foul deeds. Most of the local ‘journalists’ are biased and fast asleep with their eyes wide open.
what kind of thing is that? How could the President expect the media people to come to work with their tools outside? What did he have to hide?
I think the media personnel should have stood together and declined meeting without their recording devices.
Charles Savarin is a waste of my tax money. He’s a shameless degenerate. A thug!
Skerri is an as. The President is an old as.